A little place called Nottingham

I was sitting in class at Liberty University in May, 2010.  It was my sixth of eight classes toward the hopeful completion of a Doctor of Ministry degree.  One of my professors told the story of coming to Christ at the age of sixteen after a co-worker at a hospital invited him to a 'little Baptist church'.

Something happened in my heart in that moment.  A fire was lit.  I asked him the next day what the name of that town was.  He told me and I googled it.  Addyson, New York is a small town of about 1800 in the southern tier of New York State, my home state.  Dr. Ron Hawkins was the professor who told the story.  Today, he is the provost of the largest Christian University in the world, Liberty University, with over 60,000 students.

So here's my question:  Do you think the guy who invited Ron to church, knew all God had for him in the future?  And the next question is who is going to towns like Addyson to pastor a church today?  Who among the faithful will go to the forgotten because it matters forever?  To be sure we need ministry in the cities and the suburbs, but our land is also dotted with numerous communities no one knows about.  There are no such things as small churches.  Every church can have a global impact.  That church in Addyson sure did.

I reflected personally on the situation as well.  I grew up in one of those towns.  I was born in Malone, New York, the county seat town of Franklin county on the northern border of New York.  I grew up in a little town adjacent to Malone - Burke, New York.  The population then was about 1300 people.  I am so thankful that the Lord got the gospel to me in that place known by few, but known by Him.

Out of a desire to be good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted us with, the church I now serve, Northside Baptist Church in Liverpool, New York, began to reach out to pastors and leaders last year with our first of an annual conference we call 'Keep the Fire Burning'.  We had hoped for at least 100 people from 50 churches.  200 people came from 82 churches from 7 states.  Six of those were members of Higher Ground Baptist Church in Nottingham, New Hampshire.

Recently, I challenged our pastoral team to begin to plan a trip to a ministry somewhere here in the northeast to view up close and personal what God is doing in other places.  I wanted us also to consider how we can best encourage pastors, leaders and churches.  Just a few days ago, I drove the 371 miles to Nottingham, New Hampshire.  I wanted to meet the people who had made a six and a half hour drive to stir the fires in their hearts.  What I discovered humbled me, encouraged me, and taught me many things.  I will share more on that next time.

It may be a little place called Nottingham, but God knows where it is.  I can hardly wait to tell you about it.  Stay tuned!